The first full weekend of college football closed Monday night (eventually), and there was plenty to learn, especially given this was our first glimpse at most 2027 NFL Draft prospects.Here are a few of my thoughts and scribbles on the players who stood out after working through the tape:Trinidad Chambliss, QB and Deuce Alexander, WR, Ole MissThe Ole Miss offense exploded in the second half against Louisville, as Chambliss finished with 336 passing yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns came on 62-yard passing plays to Alexander, who posted 159 yards on just five catches. This is the first of those TDs, which gave the Rebels a third-quarter lead:Trinidad Chambliss vs. LouisvilleDane BruglerTwo main takeaways from this play: the arm confidence of the quarterback and the speed of the receiver.Ole Miss shows a 1×3 nub (isolated tight end opposite trips receivers) against Louisville’s zone. Alexander runs the deep crosser from the slot, which creates the high-low read to the boundary.Once Chambliss sees the safety rotate to the deep middle third post-snap, he knows Alexander can exploit the void behind the linebacker and rips a beautiful throw just as the pass rush arrives. The timing and pinpoint placement of the delivery are the difference between this being a first down or a touchdown. Chambliss hits Alexander in stride, allowing the speedy receiver to outrace pursuit to the end zone.The Chambliss evaluation isn’t squeaky clean, but there is a lot to like. He anticipates at a high level, both pre- and post-snap. The ball screams off his hand, and I love his audacity to drive throws into tight windows. And his athleticism is a weapon that allows him to buy time or pick up positive yardage. This is an NFL quarterback; the debate among scouts will be over his ceiling.I had Alexander ranked No. 9 among underclassmen receivers over the summer. He is a buzzy prospect that scouts would bring up when discussing De’Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III during last year’s draft cycle. His speed was evident against Louisville, and his training numbers, as noted in “Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List,” back it up.Dabo Swinney, Clemson are the biggest losers from Week 1Manny NavarroTy Benefield, S, LSULSU didn’t pinch pennies in adding to its roster this offseason, an approach that included prying Benefield from the blue turf of Boise State. Though NFL scouts are currently divided on him as a pro prospect, Benefield is hoping a productive year in the SEC will vault him into the first round — and his Tigers debut on Saturday was a good step in that direction.
How did Trinidad Chambliss, other key prospects fare in Week 1?: NFL Draft film room
Here are a few of my thoughts and scribbles on the players who stood out after working through the tape.












